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Learning to Pray From Jesus #4

As part of our series on the prayers of Jesus, we come to a prayer that is the kind of prayer which is familiar to many us.  It’s a prayer of thanksgiving.  Even if you don’t pray often, you probably have prayed this kind of prayer: Thank you God for this food…Thank you God for helping me pass the test…Thank you God it’s Friday.  Prior to this prayer of thanksgiving, we’ve heard Jesus pray in ways that may have been seemed challenging: My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.  But now we move into what seems to be easy-going territory: Thank you.Read More »Learning to Pray From Jesus #4

Learning to Pray From Jesus #3

26 As the soldiers led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. 27 A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him. 28 Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ 30 Then ” ‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!”  and to the hills, “Cover us!” ‘  31 For if people do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”  32 Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. 33 When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals-one on his right, the other on his left. 34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.  35 The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.”  36 The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar 37 and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.”  38 There was a written notice above him, which read: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.  (Lk. 23:26-38 TNIV)Read More »Learning to Pray From Jesus #3

Learning to Pray From Jesus #2

Philip Yancey is an award winning Christian author.  In a recent book he reflects on his own struggles with prayer: When I hear of people who spend an hour a day meditating, I wonder how they do it.  I strain to spend fifteen minutes, and anything longer tends to degenerate into distraction and lapses of concentration…After reading scores of books and interviewing scores of people about prayer, I would expect a more noticeable improvement in my own prayer life.  If I invested the same energy in, say, golf or learning a foreign language, I would likely see results.  Still I find that prayer involves an effort of will.  Sometimes it proves rewarding, sometimes not, at least not in ways I can detect at the time.[1] Read More »Learning to Pray From Jesus #2

Learning to Pray From Jesus #1

45 From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. 46 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” [ee’ly-ee’ly-lah’muh-suh-bahk’thuh-nee] (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).  47 When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.”  48 Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. 49 The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”   50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.” (Matt. 27:45-50 TNIV)

In our text we find Jesus in the worst circumstances which life could bring a human upon earth.  They are the darkest circumstances possible.  Just look at this darkness.Read More »Learning to Pray From Jesus #1